Scientific experts have issued an urgent warning concerning impacts of oil and gas projects on the critically endangered Western Gray Whale population offshore of Sakhalin Island, Russia.

The warning was issued in a report by the
Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP), a scientific expert committee
convened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to study the
impacts of oil and gas projects on the whales.[1] Remaining Western Gray Whales,
numbering only around 130, feed in the summer almost exclusively adjacent to new
oil and gas projects offshore northeast Sakhalin Island. Scientists noted a
sharp decline in the number of observed Western Gray Whales offshore of
Sakhalin
Island in summer
2008.

“There is urgent
concern about the preliminary evidence suggesting an anomalous pattern of gray
whale occurrence and distribution off Sakhalin
in summer 2008 and the possible relationship of this
pattern to industrial activity,” the report states.

As a result, the WGWAP
urges that “a precautionary response to the present situation would be to
establish a moratorium on all industrial activities, both maritime and
terrestrial, that have the potential to disturb gray whales in summer and autumn
on and near their main feeding areas.”

“Although the biological range of these whales
extends as far as to South China, for the last 3 decades they are seen (alive)
only in Russian waters near Sakhalin. Thus,
preservation of this unique population is a must and Russia
carries full responsibility for it’s conservation!” says Grigoriy Tsidulko,
Campaigner of International Fund for
Animal Welfare IFAW.

“Russian and
international oil companies must understand the gravity of the situation and
implement an immediate moratorium. The risk of extinction is too great to do
otherwise.” adds Dmitry Lisitsyn, Chairman of Sakhalin Island based Sakhalin Environment
Watch.

The WGWAP report
contains harsh criticism for the lack of cooperation by international and
Russian oil and gas companies operating in the area. The report singles out the
Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL)
Sakhalin–I project:

“…Sakhalin Energy has
reported an inability to share data with the Panel, citing ENL’s unwillingness
to cooperate. The Panel recognises the unfortunate situation whereby ENL does
not see any advantage to its participation in the Panel process. However, it is
unclear how a refusal to share jointly collected data, once the normal
scientific validation and analysis process has been completed, could possibly be
to the advantage of ENL and it certainly impedes the cause of western gray whale
conservation.”

Also, the WGWAP report
sharply criticizes the chronic lack of cooperation by the operator of
Sakhalin–II, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd. (Sakhalin Energy), which
is majority-owned
by Gazprom, managed largely by Royal Dutch Shell, and includes Mitsubishi and
Mitsui.

Doug Norlen, Policy
Director of Pacific Environment,
noted particular concern about Sakhalin Energy’s plans to go ahead with seismic
testing this summer, despite the scientists’ warning and lack of adequate
environmental review or proven effective mitigation measures. Seismic testing is
known to disturb whale feeding patterns. “Sakhalin Energy should heed the
scientists’ urgent call, take a precautionary approach and implement a
moratorium. In the face of this sharp decline, adding stress factors like
seismic testing could push the Western Gray Whale population over the edge.”

Speaking of the potential impacts of Sakhalin
Energy’s proposed 2009 seismic testing, the WGWAP states, “It would be
precautionary for the planned Astokh 4-D seismic survey to be put on hold until
more information is available about industrial activities and whale distribution
in 2008, and preferably also until data from 2009 are available that might
indicate whether the distribution has
returned to ‘normal’.”

The WGWAP also states that if ENL and SEIC do
not cooperate, “the effectiveness of the Panel and Sakhalin Energy’s stated
commitment to western gray whale conservation will be severely
compromised.”

"This dire news
strengthens our call to immediately create a "Piltun Whale" protected area and
halt Sakhalin I development at Piltun Bay," said Aleksey Knizhnikov, Head of
the Oil and Gas Environmental Policy Program at WWF Russia. "We hope that the major
partners of Sakhalin I—ExxonMobil and
Rosneft—follow the recommendations of the panel, as well as of the environmental
organizations and 5000 Russian citizens who have supported the creation of this
reserve."